Sink cabinet floor protector

ABSTRACT

A protective mat is positioned on the shelf of a cabinet. A portion of the protective mat extends upwardly along a sidewall of the cabinet and forms a seal therewith. The shelf and sidewall define an inner volume of the cabinet. The protective mat is positioned in the inner volume so that water carried thereon is flowed out of the inner volume.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/761,998, filed on Jan. 24, 2006 by the same inventor, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to mats for protecting cabinets from water damage.

2. Description of the Related Art

Most commercial and residential buildings include a sink formed integrally with a cabinet. The sink is connected to plumbing, which generally includes pipes that extend through the cabinet and provide the sink with water and drainage. In some situations, these pipes can undesirably leak water which can come into contact with the cabinet. Most cabinets are made of wood and can suffer from damage when exposed to water in this manner. It is also known that mold and mildew, which are known to cause health issues with some people, can form in response to the water leak.

Oftentimes, the water leak goes undetected which increases the amount of damage that occurs. For example, if the leak goes undetected long enough, it causes more damage to the cabinet. Further, the leaking water can flow from the cabinet and cause damage to nearby portions of the building. The cabinet can be removed and replaced with another one. Further, the building damage can be repaired, but this often requires the replacement of flooring, walls, plaster, concrete, etc. These options are generally undesirable because they are expensive and inconvenient.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention employs a protective mat positioned on a shelf of a cabinet having plumbing extending through it. A portion of the protective mat extends upwardly along a sidewall of the cabinet and forms a seal therewith. The upwardly extending portion of the protective mat is repeatably moveable between raised and lowered positions and diverts water flowing down the sidewall away from it. The shelf and sidewall of the cabinet define an inner volume with an opening extending outwardly therefrom. The protective mat is positioned within the inner volume so that water flows through the opening and provides an indication that the leak exists. The water generally comes from leaks in the plumbing.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 a is a perspective view of a protective mat, in accordance with the invention, positioned with a cabinet.

FIG. 1 b is a perspective view of a protective mat, in accordance with the invention, positioned with a cabinet having a divider.

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b are perspective views of corners of a protective mat in raised and lowered positions, respectively, in accordance with the invention.

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b are perspective views of a protective mat with sidewalls in raised and lowered positions, respectively, in accordance with the invention.

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are perspective views of an embodiment of a two-piece protective mat, with sidewalls in raised and lowered positions, respectively, in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 5 a is a top view of a protective mat kit, in accordance with the invention, which can provide protective mats of desired sizes.

FIG. 5 b is a top view of a protective mat, in accordance with the invention, of a desired size taken from the protective mat kit of FIG. 5 a.

FIG. 6 a is a flow diagram of a method, in accordance with the invention, of providing a protective mat for a cabinet.

FIG. 6 b is a flow diagram of a method, in accordance with the invention, of installing a protective mat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 a is a perspective front view of a sink cabinet 100 and a protective mat 110, in accordance with the invention. Sink cabinet 100 can be of many different types, such as a kitchen and bathroom sink cabinet. Cabinet 100 can also be a vanity. In this embodiment, sink cabinet 100 is carried on a floor 118 and includes a shelf 109 with sidewalls 106, 107 and 108 extending upwardly therefrom. Cabinet 100 also includes a cabinet counter 105 carried by sidewalls 106, 107 and 108. Shelf 109, counter 105, as well as sidewalls 106, 107 and 108, define an inner volume 119 with an opening 120 extending between it and the exterior of cabinet 100.

Sink cabinet 100 has plumbing, which in this embodiment, includes a sink 101 and faucet 103, both of which are carried by counter 105. Faucet 103 is positioned to flow water through an opening 102 of sink 101. The plumbing also includes a drain pipe 104 which has one end in communication with sink 101 and another end connected through sidewall 107 to external plumbing (not shown). It should be noted that the plumbing can include many other components, such as a water filer 150 and filter tank 142 (FIG. 1 b).

In this embodiment, protective mat 110 is positioned on shelf 109 in inner volume 119. Protective mat 110 includes a central portion 111 and outer portions 112, 113, 114 and 115 extending outwardly therefrom. Outer portions 112-115 define the outer periphery of mat 110. Mat 110 has a corner 121 between outer portions 112 and 113, a corner 122 between outer portions 113 and 114, a corner 123 between outer portions 112 and 115 and a corner 124 between outer portions 114 and 115. In accordance with the invention, protective mat 110 is positioned so that water carried by it flows through opening 120 and out of inner volume 119. This can be done in many different ways, one of which will be discussed presently.

In this embodiment, protective mat 110 is positioned so central portion 111 covers shelf 109. To facilitate this, central portion 111 has a shape and dimension that corresponds to that of shelf 109. Mat 110 is also positioned so outer portion 115 is adjacent to opening 120 and extends along shelf 109. In this example, outer portion 115 adjacent to opening 116 extends parallel with shelf 109 to facilitate the insertion and removal of objects into and out of inner volume 119.

Protective mat 110 is dimensioned to cover shelf 109, as well as the intersection of shelf 109 and the sidewalls. Protective mat 110 is also dimensioned so a portion of its outer periphery extends upwardly along the sidewalls. Hence, outer portions 112, 113 and 114 extend upwardly from portion 111 along sidewalls 106, 107 and 108, respectively. In this way, mat 110 is positioned to cover the intersections of shelf 109 and sidewalls 106, 107 and 108. The intersection of shelf 109 and sidewalls 106, 107 and 108 is denoted as intersections 136, 137 and 138, respectively, and are represented in phantom by dashed lines.

The outer periphery of protective mat 110 can extend up the sidewalls by many different distances. The distances are generally in a range from between one-quarter of an inch to three inches, although the distances can be outside of this range. These distances are denoted as d₁, d₂ and d₃, and can be the same as each other or different. Further, distances d₁, d₂ and d₃, can be chosen in response to the positioning of the plumbing. For example, water filter 150 (FIG. 1 b) is near sidewall 106, so distance d₁ can be chosen so that portion 112 extends a larger distance up sidewall 106 in case filter 150 leaks.

If desired, outer portions 112, 113 and/or 114 are sealed with corresponding sidewalls 106, 107 and 108 so that water flowing down them is diverted towards central portion 111. The water can be from many different sources, but it is generally from the plumbing having an undesirable leak. For example, water can be leaking from pipe 104 and/or sink 101.

In accordance with the invention, the leaking water flows to protective mat 110, where it pools as water 116 on central portion 111. In this embodiment, protective mat 110 flows water 116 out of inner volume 112 through opening 120, as indicated by direction arrow 140, where it pools on floor 118 as water 117. This is useful because a person using sink cabinet 100 is more likely to notice water 117 and less likely to notice water 116. In this way, protective mat 110 provides an indication that the plumbing has a leaking condition. It should be noted that the flow of water 116 out of inner volume 112 can be facilitated by making the thickness of central portion 111 near outer portion 113 greater than the thickness of central portion 111 near outer portion 115.

FIG. 1 b is a perspective view of another embodiment of cabinet 100, wherein it includes a divider 135. In this embodiment, divider 135 is positioned so it extends upwardly between shelf 109 and counter 105 (FIG. 1 a) and divides opening 120. Cabinet 100 generally includes cabinet doors (not shown) which are moveable between a position away from opening 120 and divider 135 and a position enclosing opening 120 and engaging divider 135. In accordance with the invention, a portion of protective mat 110 is positioned so it extends upwardly along divider 135. This is useful so that divider 135 is protected from water in the same manner as sidewalls 106, 107 and 108 as described above.

It should be noted that protective mat 110 can be made of many different materials, which are preferably water impermeable so mat 110 is water resistant. In these embodiments, mat 110 is made of rubber, but it can also include other materials, such as plastic. Protective mat 110 is made of a material durable enough to support items commonly positioned under a sink, such as filter tank 142. Protective mat 110 is also made of a material durable enough to resist corrosion from chemicals commonly stored under a sink. These chemicals can be of many different types, such as solid and liquid detergents and cleaners.

It should also be noted that a bottom surface 129 of mat 110 can have many different configurations. For example, in some embodiments, bottom surface 129 includes friction members positioned thereon. The friction members can be of many different types, such as an adhesive positioned on surface 129 to adhere mat 110 to shelf 109. In this embodiment, the friction members are ribs 128 that extend outwardly from surface 129. Ribs 128 can extend in many different directions relative to mat 110. In this embodiment, they extend lengthwise between outer portions 113 and 115. In other embodiments, they extend lengthwise between outer portions 112 and 114. In still other embodiments, they extend diagonally between sides 115 and 112 and between sides 113 and 114 or they extend diagonally between 112 and 113 and between sides 114 and 115.

Ribs 128 are spaced apart from each other and extend outwardly from surface 129 so surface 129 is spaced from shelf 109. This provides insulation between protective mat 110 and shelf 109. Further, this also provides ventilation between mat 110 and shelf 109 which increases the rate at which moisture evaporates. The moisture is less likely to damage shelf 109 if it evaporates at a faster rate.

Outer portions 112, 113 and 114 can be held in raised positions in many different ways. In one embodiment, mat 110 is made so that they permanently extend upwardly from central portion 111. In some embodiments, mat 110 is made so that portions 112-114 are flexible and repeatably moveable between raised and lowered positions. In other embodiments, corners 121, 122, 123 and 124 are biased so they are moveable between raised and lowered positions, as will be discussed in more detail presently. In any of these embodiments, outer portion 112-115 can have shape memory so that they retain their raised and lowered positions, as desired by the user.

FIGS. 2 a and 2 b are perspective views of corner 121 of protective mat 110 showing one way it can be repeatably moved between raised and lowered positions, in accordance with the invention. In this embodiment, a biasing pad 125 of protective mat 110 has a thickness near corner 121 greater than a thickness away from corner 121. The thicker material is resilient and biases corner 121 between its raised position, as shown in FIG. 2 a, and its lowered position, as shown in FIG. 2 b. In this embodiment, the outer periphery of biasing pad 125 has a thickness t₁ when corner 121 is raised and a thickness t₂ when corner 121 is lowered, wherein thickness t₁ is greater than t₂. Biasing pad 125 is stretched when corner 121 is lowered and compressed when corner 121 is raised. Accordingly, biasing pad 125 is repeatably moveable between stretched and compressed conditions and, in response, corner 121 is moveable between lowered and raised conditions in response.

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b are perspective views of protective mat 110 with sides in raised and lowered positions, respectively, using biasing pad 125 of FIGS. 2 a and 2 b. In this embodiment, biasing pad 125, denoted as biasing pads 125 a and 125 b, are positioned proximate to corners 121 and 122, respectively. In FIG. 2 a, biasing pad 125 a is compressed and pulls sides 112 and 113 upwardly so they are in their raised positions. Further, biasing pad 125 b is compressed and pulls sides 113 and 114 upwardly so they are in their raised positions. In FIG. 2 b, sides 112 and 113 are in their lowered positions so that biasing pad 125 a is stretched, but biased to compress when sides 112 or 113 are moved accordingly. Further, sides 113 and 114 are in their lowered positions so that biasing pad 125 b is stretched, but biased to compress when sides 113 or 114 are moved upwardly. In this way, the sidewalls of mat 110 are repeatably moveable between raised and lowered positions in response to raising and lowering their corresponding corners. It should be noted that biasing pad 125 can also be positioned proximate to corners 123 and 124, but this feature is not shown here for simplicity. It should also be noted that outer portions 112-115 can be moved between raised and lowered positions in many other ways, another of which will be discussed in more detail presently.

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are top views of a protective mat 100, in accordance with the invention, showing another way its outer portions can be repeatably moved between raised and lowered positions and held in the raised position. In this embodiment, sidewalls 112-115 are held in their raised positions by raising their corresponding corners. Further, sidewalls 112-115 are held in their raised positions by holding their corresponding corners in raised positions. The corners can be held in raised positions in many different ways.

In this embodiment, tape pieces 131, 132, 133 and 134 are positioned proximate to corners 121, 122, 123 and 124, respectively, to hold them in raised positions. The tape pieces can be of many different types, such as duct tape, and are positioned to pull their corresponding sides together. For example, tape piece 131 is positioned at corner 121 and pulls sides 112 and 113 towards corner 121 so they are held in their raised positions. Further, tape piece 132 is positioned at corner 122 and pulls sides 113 and 114 towards corner 122 so they are held in their raised positions. To move outer portions 112, 113, 114 and 115 to their lowered positions, tape pieces 131, 132, 133 and 134 are removed from respective corners 121, 122, 123 and 124, as shown in FIG. 4 b, and outer portions 112-115 are moved downwardly to their lowered positions.

In this embodiment, protective mat 100 includes a single piece, but it can include two mat pieces in other embodiments. It should be noted that a protective mat is generally formed of one or more pieces, but one piece is shown here and in FIGS. 1 a and 1 b, for illustrative purposes. Further, the pieces can be held together in many different ways. For example, tape, an adhesive, heat welding, snaps, hooks and loops, rivet pins, etc. can be used to hold the pieces together. It should also be noted that any of tape pieces 131, 132, 133 and 134 can extend to bottom surface 128 of protective mat 110. Further, any of tape pieces 131, 132, 133 and 134 can be attached to one of the sidewalls of cabinet 100.

FIG. 5 a is a top view of a protective mat kit 150, in accordance with the invention, which includes unsized protective mats and FIG. 5 b is a top view of a sized protective mat formed from protective mat kit 150. As discussed in more detail below, protective mat kit 150 includes a sheet of material that can be sized and shaped to provide a desired sized protective mat. Kit 150 can also include instructions regarding measuring, cutting, and positioning the protective mat formed from it. The instructions can also provide guidance on moving the outer periphery of the protective mat between the raised and lowered positions. Further, the instructions can provide guidance on how to remove the protective mat from the cabinet and replace it with a new one.

The sheet of material can be sized and shaped in many different ways. In one way, perforations are formed in the sheet material to indicate protective mats of various sizes and shapes. The user can choose which size and shape protective mat he or she wants and cut the protective mat kit accordingly. The portions of the sheet material not included in the desired protective mat is usually discarded. In another way, protective mat kit 150 includes removeable sections, such as in FIGS. 4 a and 4 b, which can be attached together or removed from each other to provide a protective mat with a desired shape and dimension. In this way, the end user can form a protective mat from protective mat kit 150 which can be used with a number of different cabinets. It should be noted that the portions of material mentioned above can be used to facilitate providing the protective mat with its desired shape.

In FIG. 5 a, protective mat kit 150 includes a mat piece 151 defined by sides 112, 113, and 115. Mat piece 151 is also defined by a perforation 154 opposed to side 112. Mat kit 150 also includes a mat piece 152 defined by sides 112, 113, and 115. Mat piece 152 is also defined by a perforation 155 opposed to side 112. Mat kit 150 includes a mat piece 153 defined by sides 112, 113, and 115. Mat piece 153 is also defined by a side 160 opposed to side 112. Hence, perforation 154 is between side 112 and perforation 155 and perforation 155 is between perforation 154 and side 160.

Hence, in this embodiment, protective mat kit 150 includes three different sized protective mats, denoted as mats 151, 152 and 153, which can be provided according to the choice of the user. For example, protective mat 151 can be provided by cutting through perforation 154 and protective mat 152 can be provided by cutting through perforation 155. Protective mat 153 corresponds to protective mat kit 150. In this way, protective mat kit 150 is used to provide one of three differently sized protective mats that can be used to protect one of three differently sized cabinets.

It should be noted that kitchen and bathroom sink cabinets are generally manufactured in standard sizes. The size of a cabinet is typically defined as its length by its width. In one example, the standard size for bathroom sink cabinets is 23 inches by 17.5 inches, 23 inches by 21.5 inches, 29 inches by 21.5 inches and 35 inches by 21.5 inches. The standard size for kitchen sink cabinets is 32 inches by 23.5 inches and 35 inches by 23.5 inches.

Protective mat kit 150 is generally provided so that mat pieces 151, 152 and 153 each will have corresponding central portions shaped and dimensioned to cover the shelf 109 of cabinet 100. Protective mat pieces 151, 152 and 153 are dimensioned to be larger than the dimensions of shelf 109 so that its outer periphery can be extended along its sidewalls, as discussed above. The dimensions of mat pieces 151, 152 and 153 are generally chosen to be one quarter of an inch to three inches greater than the dimension of shelf 109 so that their outer peripheries can be moved to raised positions extending upwardly along a corresponding sidewall.

In this embodiment, corners 156 and 157 are removeable from protective mat piece 151. Further, corners 158 and 159 are removeable from protective mat pieces 152 and 153, respectively. These corners are removeable to accommodate vertical supports, such as divider 135, which are sometimes included in cabinets. These corners can be removeable in many different ways. For example, the sheet material can include partial cuts or perforations that are used to remove them. Further, the partial cuts and perforations can extend linearly or be curved to indicate various shapes.

FIG. 6 a is a flow diagram of a method 170, in accordance with the invention, of providing a protective mat for a cabinet. In this embodiment, method 170 includes a step 171 of providing a protective mat kit which includes a sheet of material that can be sized and shaped to provide a desired sized and shaped protective mat. The sheet of material can be sized and shaped in many different ways. In one way, perforations are formed in the material to indicated protective mats of various sizes and shapes. The user can choose, in a step 172, which size and shape protective mat he or she wants and cut the protective mat kit accordingly. In another way, the protective mat kit includes removeable sections which can be attached together or removed from each other to provide a protective mat with a desired shape and dimension. In this way, the end user can form a protective mat from the protective mat kit which can be used with a number of different cabinets.

The sections can be removeable in many different ways. For example, the protective mat can include partial cuts or perforations that can be used to remove undesired portions of the mat. The partial cuts and perforations can extend linearly or be curved to indicate various shapes.

The kit can also include instructions regarding measuring, cutting, and positioning the protective mat within the cabinet. The instructions can also include guidance on moving the outer periphery of the protective mat between the raised and lowered positions. The instructions can also provide guidance on how to remove the protective mat from the cabinet and replace it with a new one.

FIG. 6 b is a flow diagram of a method 180, in accordance with the invention, of installing a protective mat. It should be noted that the protective mat in method 180 is generally provided as described with FIG. 6 a above. However, in other situations, it is provided preformed. In this embodiment, method 180 includes a step 181 of providing a cabinet having a shelf and a sidewall defining an inner volume and an opening extending outwardly therefrom; and a step 182 of positioning a protective mat on the shelf and sealing a portion of the protective mat with the sidewall so the portion extends upwardly from the shelf.

It should be noted that method 180 can include other steps which can be carried out in various orders along with steps 181 and 182 above. For example, in some embodiments, method 180 can include a step of positioning the protective mat within the inner volume so that water carried thereon flows through the opening. Method 180 can also include a step of positioning the portion of the protective mat sealed with the sidewall so that water flowing down the sidewall is diverted towards the opening. Method 180 can include a step of positioning the protective mat so that another portion of it extends upwardly along a cabinet divider. The protective mat can be positioned so it covers the intersection of the shelf and sidewall. A portion of the protective mat can be sealed to the sidewall with tape. The sides of the protective mat can be moved from lowered to raised positions when it is installed in the cabinet.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. Apparatus, comprising: a sink cabinet having a shelf with a sidewall extending upwardly therefrom; and a protective mat positioned on the shelf, a portion of the protective mat extending upwardly along the sidewall and forming a seal therewith.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upwardly extending portion of the protective mat diverts water flowing down the sidewall away from it.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an outer periphery of the protective mat is repeatably moveable between raised and lowered positions.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a side of the protective mat is moveable between lowered and raised positions in response to the corresponding movement of opposed corners.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a portion of the outer periphery of the protective mat is held in a raised position by tape.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shelf and sidewall define an inner volume with an opening extending therethrough, the protective mat being positioned so that water carried by it flows through the opening.
 7. Apparatus, comprising: a cabinet having a shelf with a sidewall defining an inner volume and an opening extending outwardly therefrom; plumbing extending through the cabinet; and a protective mat positioned within the inner volume so that water from the plumbing received by the protective mat flows through the opening.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the protective mat diverts water flowing down the sidewall towards the opening.
 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a portion of the protective mat extends upwardly to cover the intersection of the shelf and sidewall.
 10. The apparatus of claim 7, further including a piece of tape positioned on a corner of the protective mat to hold it in a raised position.
 11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the cabinet includes a divider positioned so it extends upwardly from the shelf and divides the opening, the protective mat extending upwardly along the divider.
 12. The apparatus of claim 7, further including friction members positioned on a bottom surface of the protective mat.
 13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the outer periphery of the protective mat engaged with the sidewall extends upwardly from the shelf and the outer periphery of the protective mat adjacent to the opening extends along the shelf.
 14. A method, comprising: providing a cabinet having a shelf with a sidewall defining an inner volume and an opening extending outwardly therefrom; and positioning a protective mat on the shelf and sealing a portion of the protective mat with the sidewall so the portion extends upwardly from the shelf.
 15. The method of claim 14, further including positioning the protective mat within the inner volume so that water carried thereon flows through the opening.
 16. The method of claim 14, further including positioning the portion of the protective mat sealed with the sidewall so that water flowing down the sidewall is diverted towards the opening.
 17. The method of claim 14, further including positioning the protective mat so that another portion of it extends upwardly along a cabinet divider.
 18. The method of claim 14, further including positioning the protective mat so it covers the intersection of the shelf and sidewall.
 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the portion of the protective mat is sealed to the sidewall with tape.
 20. The method of claim 14, further including moving a side of the protective mat from a lowered to a raised position. 